Of Love
by B-Rated
Summary: Of distance grows fondness. Of fondness grows love. Of love grows heartache.
1. Chapter 1

Of distance grows fondness. Of fondness grows love. Of love grows heartache.

* * *

"Today's your last day in Suna, right?" Kankuro questioned the younger male.

"Yeah," Kiba smiled, "man, that went by fast."

"Yeah… Hey, wanna drink?" he nodded to the bar to his left.

"Sure," Kiba agreed following Kankuro into the building.

The two friends dank in mostly silence but soon heads became light and laughter for no reason came up. Sometimes they just smiled at each other for long periods of time. Then bust into a chuckle over nothing again. This continued late into the evening until Kankuro reached for his glass, his hand brushing Kiba's. The laughter stopped.

Kankuro stared at Kiba trying to decipher this new feeling. But all he found was a hazy could left from liquor. A headache bubbled into his skull and he groaned, "I've had enough."

"Me too," Kiba slurred and attempted to stand but stumbled. Kankuro laughed at his friend and waved at the bar tender before helping Kiba out of the bar.

The two stumbled through the streets in song and laughter. Kankuro aided Kiba all the way to his hotel room. They stopped outside the green door waiting for Kiba to let his arm go of Kankuro and disappear into his stay. But Kiba couldn't think it right to leave Kankuro the night before his departure like this. Somewhere in his drunken mind he had made a connection he otherwise would fail to see. So instead of relinquishing Kankuro to be alone again, with a drunken friend the last of his memory of him, Kiba's arm held tighter. He weakly pulled himself to Kankuro in a slightly misplaced kiss.

Kankuro pulled away and Kiba mumbled a, "night," before leaving Kankuro in the hallway.

The male shrugged and didn't think more of what had happened. He stumbled home and passed out a mere second before falling onto his bed.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Kankuro began to raise from his subconscious due to the banging on his skull. He groaned and covered his eyes with his arm trying to block out the sun light.

"Kankuro!" The voice of his sister called.

Kankuro groaned and buried his face under a pillow. "Kankuro," Temari's voice was in the room now and her footsteps were getting close to his bed. The pillow over Kankuro's head was suddenly seized and pulled away, "get up, Kranky." She cooed, "aw, sad because your friend left?"

"What?" Kankuro groaned again and sat up, squinting from the light.

"He went home didn't he?" She ruffled her younger brother's already gnarled locks.

"So…?"

She smiled, "you two were out late again last night."

"Yeah," he yawned, "and I got a hangover. Now, go away." He pushed her away and fell back on the bed.

"Nope, gotta get up," she grabbed his arm and pulled him up again. "We have a meeting with Gaara remember?"

Kankuro groaned for the umpteenth time and protested, "Gaara will understand…" he yawned again, "if I don't go."

"No," Temari still insisted trying to pull her brother up and failing. "Fine, I won't make you breakfast."

"What?" Kankuro was suddenly motivated.

"Get dressed and come down," she instructed before leaving again.

Kankuro sighed and stood, doing what he was told even though his body protested the whole time. He reached the kitchen and slumped onto a stool. Resting his chin in his hand he waited for food.

"Miss him?" Temari suddenly asked. She could tell by her brother's dark demeanor something was wrong. She had seen him hungover and then he seemed more violent than melancholy.

Kankuro snorted, "like I'd miss him when he left behind his fleas." He laughed scratching his head.

"He's your friend, Kankuro, it's okay to miss him," she stated sweetly placing food in front of him.

Kankuro ate slowly thinking about his sister's words. Kiba and him had become close over the few months. Kiba always managed to find joy in something and laugh about it. He cheered Kankuro up and treated him like he was… special. Kankuro shook out the thought and continued eating.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Kankuro stared at the wall behind his brother's head while he talked. He had a feeling that what he was saying was important but Gaara's voice was just so easy to tune out.

"…_blah, blah, blah, _Kankuro?" the sound of his name brought him back.

"Hn?" His head perked up as he looked around to find eyes glaring at him.

"Are you done daydreaming, Kankuro?" Gaara asked again.

"Oh, uh, sure," Kankuro smiled.

"Great," Gaara smiled back although his was fake. "Now, the chuunin exams are in three months. As you know Suna will be hosting them. Kankuro, would you like to volunteer as a supervisor?"

Kankuro sighed, "whatever."

"Good now that that's settled… _blah, blah, blah…_" Gaara's voice faded once more.

Kankuro continued staring. Maybe Kiba would be coming to the exams. This thought brought a ray of light to Kankuro's sour heart, although he did not know why. He spent the rest of the meeting thinking about his friend and all the puzzlement that went along with him.

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	4. Chapter 4

_Kankuro panted hard, face to the ceiling. His hands held tight to the dresser behind him. He felt the wet heat leave and kisses being trailed back up his body. Just as lips were mere inches from his, his hand gripped the person's neck and shoulder forcing them back to their knees to finish what they had started. They complied and Kankuro was taken back into their mouth. He moaned loudly, eyes falling shut and hips being allowed to rock freely. He was pushed to the edge by a talented tongue and came tumbling, screaming a familiar name._

Kankuro sat up right in bed with such force his tangled bed sheets fell from his torso. He ran his hand over his face to rid himself of the beading sweat. "Holy hell…" he panted out. He looked down at the wet mess around his thighs, "what the fuck are you thinking?" He was talking to a specific part of that region.

With a sigh he removed the covers and made way to his dresser. He changed into to a cleaner pair of boxers and then left his room venture downstairs for a drink of water. He sat at the counter pressing the cool glass against his forehead.

A light clicked on in the hallway and he looked up to find his sister, clad in a sleeping robe, making her way to him. "You okay?"

He sighed, "yeah."

"Bad dream?" She pressed.

"A fucking nightmare," he stated grimly.

"Wanna talk about it?" She questioned.

"No," Kankuro said firmly.

"Okay," Temari sighed. "But I'm sure he's fine."

"What?"

"That's what your nightmare was about, wasn't it? Kiba?" she asked, basing her assumptions on the scream she heard.

"Yeah…" he removed the glass from his face for a drink.

"He's fine, Kankuro. If he wasn't I'm positive word would reach here," she comforted.

"Thanks, Temari," he left the glass on the counter and started to go back to bed.

Temari shut off the hallway light on her trip up the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

Kankuro sighed with frustration unable to commit the words of the scroll to memory long enough to be copied. He groaned after reading the same line the fifth time. His mind kept constantly running back to the same person and he was sick of it. None of his work had been getting done and he had a deadline to meet.

He threw down his pen and rolled up the scroll this was pointless. He was getting no where and would continue to do so.

He walked with the scroll to his brother's office and put it down on the desk in front of him. "I can't do this," he said with hostility.

Gaara looked from the rolled parchment to his brother's face, "what?"

Kankuro sighed and fell into a chair along the wall, "I don't know. I'm just so… frustrated and I don't know why. I can't sleep and can't focus. What the hell is happening to me?"

"I'm no expert with emotions, Kankuro," Gaara stated.

Kankuro sighed, "I know. I just feel like I'm over looking something."

"Perhaps you should talk to Temari, she'd be better at this sort of thing and she'll be back tomorrow," Gaara offered.

"Yeah… but it feels like something I shouldn't share with her," Kankuro stated. "I don't even think I should be talking to you about it."

"What is 'it' referring to?" Gaara asked.

"That's the thing. I don't know," Kankuro slumped into the chair.

Gaara was silent for a long moment, "I can't help you, Kankuro, and I don't think Temari will be able to either. I think it's something you'll have to figure out on your own."

Kankuro sighed, "okay, I think I'm going to go home. Maybe it'll come to me in my sleep."

"Good night," Gaara nodded going back to work.

Kankuro walked to his and his sibling's deserted home. He kicked off his sandals and climbed the stairs to his room. He removed his hood and set it on his dresser. Then pulled off his shirt and threw it in the hamper before walking back out into the hallway to make way for the bathroom.

If his sister was home he'd be a little more discreet. But at the current moment she was in Konoha making preparations for the exams. She'd been away for the past half a month and he was growing used to being home alone most the time.

He pulled a wash cloth from the towel cupboard and ran it under the warm water before beginning to rub off the purple lines on his face. Tomorrow he'd have to put them back on but he didn't find the task annoying. He rather enjoyed it actually. Creating the designs was his favorite part of the day and washing them off meant he got to make new ones.

He walked back through the hallway shutting off lights on his way but left one on for Gaara when he got home. Again, usually that was Temari's job.

He stepped into his room and shed his pants before climbing into bed. He snuggled close to his pillow and listened to the sounds of silence. He rolled over to face the ceiling.

He felt kind of alone in his big bed but there was no chance of ever having someone join him in it. It was an unspoken rule of the house. No sleepovers.

But the thought of having a warm body next to him was impossible to deny longing for. _The wandering hands… sweaty bodies… a hard smooth chest littered with few battle scars…_ Kankuro's eyes drifted closed and breathing became rugged. _Soft brown hair… pink blush… confessions of wants and desires… _Kankuro groaned. _Mouth hanging open… fangs showing… his name being pleaded for… _Kankuro's panting became harder, his hand sliding down his own chest. _Hips meeting… a tan neck being marked…nails digging into his shoulders… _His fingers curled around his own hard flesh and began pumping shamelessly, sending pleasured sparks though his system. _Toes curling, back arching… _Kankuro rocked his hips to his own accord pumping faster, his moans filling the room. _Head falling back, muscles tensing, his name being screamed… _Kankuro bucked his hips faster in desperation. _Body gyrating, eyes rolling back, face twisting, breath catching, heat filling him, white lights flashing, stomach convulsing, hips moving instinctively, and then- _"Kiba!" Kankuro gasped out while he came into his own hand. His hips slowed to ride out his orgasm and breathing became less rapid. He sighed and stilled completely. His chest heaved at a decreasing pace and body became lethargic.

He removed his hand from his boxers and whipped it on the underside of his sheet while the clean one came up to rub his forehead as though he had a headache. He hadn't intentionally thought of Kiba. He was actually trying to stray from such images of his friend. But Kiba was easy to imagine in such ways and as wrong as it seemed a month ago no longer bothered him so much. But there was still some nagging voice inside him, it was just that he didn't know what it was saying.

He rolled back onto his side and decided to forget about it for now and let exhaustion take over. At least he knew his dreams couldn't propose what he hadn't already accepted.

_Kankuro walked down the empty street, a hand in his. He looked down at the entwined fingers then to who they were attached to. He wasn't surprised to find a smiling Kiba. He smiled back and turned to face him completely after they had stopped walking. _

_Kankuro stared at the Inuzuka a long moment before bringing his hand to trace the red clan tattoos with his thumb. It was strange that he suddenly felt compelled to do that. What was stranger still was that Kiba's face was growing closer but he wasn't the one moving, Kankuro was. Their smiles faded and eyes fell before lips brushed lightly. Kankuro pulled away still keeping them close enough that their noses were touching. A gentle whisper spoke, "I love you."_

Kankuro sat upright with a gasp and stuck himself in the face with the palm of his hand. "What the fuck am _I_ thinking?"

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Kankuro stood at Suna's border between the towering rock walls. Temari had passed on from Gaara that he was to escort a Konoha shinobi to Gaara's office. He sighed, _"where is this guy?"_

He saw a distant figure growing closer. He was annoyed for they looked to be moving at a snail's pace. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the figure.

They were wasting his time. He wasn't sure what he would be doing instead of this but it sure would have been a hell of a lot more interesting. This was boring chunnin stuff. But because he's the Kazekage's brother he's supposed to meet and greet all the allied shinobi with a smile.

Recently he's been busy with all the preparations for the chunnin exams so it's a surprise Gaara asked him to do this. Even if it's a high ranked ninja Kankuro wouldn't be here.

Kankuro's eyes fell to watch the growing figure's feet. He counted how long it took one foot to leave the ground for the other to hit it. They weren't moving as slow as he had thought but they weren't in a hurry either.

He sighed again and continued watching the now noticeably black sandals. The feet weren't small and dainty like a female's but they weren't massive. Normal sized and tan. His eyes traveled up. Black pants, black leather jacket tied around a slender waist, gray fishnet covering tan torso… Kankuro froze when his eyes met facial features. A smile moved across his face. "Kiba!"

The leaf shinobi grinned and broke into a run towards his friend. The two met in a joyous hug that caught the attention of those working border control. Kankuro quickly relinquished his friend and coughed at the sudden awkwardness, "um… good to see you again."

Kiba still wore his smile unfazed by staring eyes, "you too." Kankuro found the smile infectious and couldn't help but return it again. "I gotta drop this letter off with Gaara then I'll meet up with you again, kay?" Kiba held up the envelope.

"Aren't I supposed to be your escort?" Kankuro was suddenly confused. Escorts were for shinobi unfamiliar with the village and high ranked or status, Kiba was none of them.

Kiba shrugged, "you can if you want. But I didn't ask for one…"

Kankuro realized what had happened and gave a small chuckle, "Temari." His sister knew Kiba was coming and sent Kankuro to the border the best way she knew how without ruining the surprise. "Okay, so now I know this isn't a mission I'll see you later then." He turned and left while Kiba pulled identification papers to gain entrance into the village.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Kankuro slumped down beside a building in a row of them. He sighed. Seeing Kiba, the real Kiba, made everything… better, but at the same time worse. The nagging got louder but he still couldn't understand it! What was he supposed o do? He knew so little about the situation. Kiba is his friend, a friend he wouldn't mind fucking senseless, but why! Why Kiba?! It was so complex, hidden in the maze of his mind, but when he saw him it seemed so clear. If only he would have been with him longer… then maybe he would have been able to grasp the answer and not let it go.

He looked up when someone sat down beside him, "something wrong?"

Kankuro shook his head and smiled, "nah."

"You're lying," Kiba poked his side. "The corner of your mouth twitches when you lie."

"Does it really?" Kankuro asked.

"Yeah, so what's bothering you?"

He sighed. Kiba wasn't going to let him get away with anything, "um… I need to tell you something."

Kiba shrugged, "okay, shoot."

Kankuro looked around the busy street, "not here."

"Okay… so your place?"

Kankuro thought a moment, Temari was with Gaara working on last minuet exam stuff, "okay."

He stood and the two walked in silence to the siblings' home. "How long will you be in Suna?" Kankuro asked kicking off his shoes at the door.

"Until exams are over," Kiba did the same.

"Three weeks?" Kankuro started up the stairs.

"Yup," Kiba followed.

"Where's Akamaru?" Kankuro stepped into his room and pulled off his hood to place it on his dresser.

"He was recovering after taking some hits in the last mission," Kiba explained, jumping into the center of Kankuro's bed with a spin. "You know how many times I've been in your bed?" Kiba smiled.

"Not enough," Kankuro said without thinking.

Kiba smiled, "oh, really?"

Kankuro smiled back still not realizing what he had just confessed. He couldn't. He was too distracted. Kiba was laying on _his bed_ wearing exposing fishnet from the waist up.

His eyes fell down taking in the wonderful sight. His smile faded and he looked back up to see Kiba with a grin and one eyebrow raised.

Kankuro's mind was racing. He couldn't help it anymore. Everything was too… tempting. He pushed off the dresser and in one movement was sitting on the bed beside Kiba. His hands resting on either side of the chunnin's chest and lips were firmly placed to the ones below him with tongue devouring Kiba's mouth.

Kiba kissed back absent mindedly before Kankuro pulled away and sank down the front of him, placing kisses to the exposed tan skin where the sad excuse for a shirt had been ripped 's eyes followed the sinking shinobi. "Kankuro, what are you doing?"

"I don't know, but if I think about it I won't want to anymore," Kankuro breathed out.

Kiba smirked, "then by all means, stop thinking." His hand took the side of Kankuro's head and pulled him back up for another, literally, breath taking kiss. His raised knee fell flat to the bed and Kankuro moved to straddle the slender waist. His body pushed up deepening the already heated kiss until it was broken again. "You want this too?" Kankuro asked.

"I thought we weren't thinking," Kiba sighed and leaned up on his elbow to connect them once more.

Again, Kankuro pulled away, "so you do want this to happen?"

Kiba rolled his eyes, "no, Kankuro, get off me." He then smiled and sat up further while pushing Kankuro over until their positions were flipped. "That's better."

Kankuro's eyebrows raised, "oh no." He shook his head in protest, "I own _you_, dog-boy."

"No one said you wouldn't," Kiba replied. He placed the claw-like nail of his index finger at the collar of Kankuro's shirt and drug it down. The fabric tore has though an imaginary zipper had been there.

"Hey!" Kankuro sat up.

"It's only fair," Kiba smirked, removing his ripped article.

Kankuro smiled and wrapped his arms around Kiba before rolling them once more. He brought his lips to other pair for tongues to do more intriguing things than forming words.

Kiba repeated what he had done to the front of Kankuro's shirt to the back giving it to gravity to fall down his arms.

Kankuro shook off the sleeves and pulled back from Kiba, "a little persistent aren't you?"

"More than a little," Kiba pulled Kankuro down again for another passionate kiss while his knees raised on either side of the body above him. Kankuro's weight shifted to one hand, bringing the other to run down the side of Kiba's still clothed thigh.

Kankuro's stomach twisted into knots as his fingers fan over a part of Kiba's body he thought they never would so intimately. The leaf shinobi moaned into the mouth covering his and Kankuro pulled away. His voice was raw and nothing above a whisper, "I thought I'd never get to touch you like this."

Kiba smiled, "I thought I'd never _get _you to touch me like this."

Kankuro gave a small laugh while leaning back down for another lick across Kiba's canine teeth and roof of his mouth. His hand moved up the side of Kiba's body, slowing over the exposed chest, and coming to land back to the bed beside him.

Kiba's tongue flicked against Kankuro's quite festively while his fingers continually curled around and released fistfuls of Kankuro's hair. But it all came to a halt with a gasp.

It had belonged to neither of the males and the sound of surprise caught the couple by surprise. They looked up quickly to find a familiar female with a look of shock standing in the doorway. Kankuro hastily removed himself from Kiba and began racking his brain for some sort of explanation but as he opened his mouth a smile broke across his sister's face and she leaned one shoulder on the door frame. "Hello, Kiba," she greeted.

Kiba's face read confusion but he still gave a half wave hello.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Temari shook her head. Then she turned to leave.

Kiba moved off the bed and stood beside a gaping Kankuro. He brought his hand to his cheek and pulled his face sideways for their lips to meet. "I'm gonna go," he stated before giving another small peck, "good night." He then exited Kankuro's room and went down the stairs to collect his jacket and shoes at the door and leave the sibling's home.


	8. Chapter 8

Still don't own.

* * *

Kankuro stared at the ceiling listening to the winds outside. His mind thought on the day's events. Knowing Kiba had grater feelings than friendship hadn't helped his dilemma the way he thought it should. There was still something telling him he was missing something.

He found Kiba attractive. He lusted for him. And the same went for Kiba, Kankuro decided. This was only happening because the two had gotten too close and Kankuro was feeling the need for a good lay. It was hormones and nothing more. All he had to do was get through three weeks then perhaps time away from Kiba would make it better. Yeah, that's what they needed, time apart.

He sighed heavily, _"three weeks… this is going to be torture." _

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	9. Chapter 9

I don't own.

* * *

Kankuro walked down the busy street in the early morning heading towards the Kazekage's office. He had some last minuet exam things to look over.

"Kankuro!" He heard a familiar voice call and sighed before turning with a fake smile.

"Hi, Kiba," he greeted. He was really hoping not to see the chunnin at all. That would make this much easier but after yesterday he really couldn't expect Kiba to stay away.

Kiba of course realized Kankuro wasn't all too happy to see him and that confused him but he was determined, "wanna make a detour to my hotel room?"

"No, sorry, I have work to do," Kankuro stated before walking away.

Kiba followed him still, "what's up?"

"What?" Kankuro asked.

"You're acting… different," Kiba stated.

Kankuro shrugged and didn't answer.

"Kankuro, what happened?" Kiba pressed further.

"Nothing," Kankuro continued his façade.

"But… I thought…" Kiba stopped walking his heart sinking into his stomach.

"Well, you thought wrong," Kankuro said harshly, still walking, he wanted to put distance between them, make this feeling go away.

Kiba sighed realizing Kankuro still needed time. He looked down and turned to go the opposite way, looking over his shoulder once.

Kankuro stopped as remorse for what he had just done and the look on Kiba's face sunk in. It felt like a brick was dropped into his stomach. He looked behind him only to see the people of his village going about their own business. He sighed and shook his head before picking up his pace again.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Kankuro handed in the scrolls it had taken him longer than it should have to fill out and started to trek home through the dark streets. He had a headache and a stomach that objected food so when he saw Temari setting the table for dinner he said he'd pass.

He went to his room and prepared to lay down and die. This was the lowest he had ever felt in his life. He hadn't expected this to be as hard as it was but there was no controlling it.

He sighed and ruffled his own hair just for something to do.

There was a knock on the open door frame and he turned his head to look at his sister. "Something wrong?" she asked stepping into the room and leaning against the dresser after picking up Kankuro's hood off of it and playing with it in her hands.

He looked back at the ceiling, "no- well, yes." He was struggling with what to say.

"Hm…" Temari mused, "that sounds complicated."

"It is!" Kankuro shouted and sat up on the edge of his bed. "I don't know what to do anymore. I can't concentrate, I can't sleep, I can't eat, or think, I feel like shit."

Temari smiled and placed the headgear back on the dresser, "know what it sounds like to me?"

"What?" he asked desperately.

Temari shook her head, "where would the fun in that be, Kankuro? And besides this is something you have to figure it out on your own." She smiled and left her brother with no further assistance then when she entered. But she quickly came back, "Oh, Kankuro, I thought I should tell you that Kiba asked for an earlier leave. He'll only be here for a couple of more days." Then she was gone again.

When Kankuro thought he would be relieved he was crushed. He fell back in bed with a hand poised on his chest. Why did it hurt?

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

The chunnin exams had gone by flawlessly. Suna was closer to Kohana then ever before. Things were getting better in the remote desert village as a result of that good bond. The sand shinobi were gaining potential and life was good in the Land of Wind. But Kankuro saw none of it. His mind was focused on one thing, a puzzle he felt he was close to cracking.

It had been a full year since he had last seen Kiba. And with each passing month his outlook got bleaker. He had tried and tried to forget Kiba. Forget everything but no matter how many mattresses he hit the feeling never left. If anything it made him feel worse.

"Kankuro," Gaara's voice called.

Kankuro gave his brother back his attention but the somber look never left.

Gaara sighed, "Kankuro, Temari informs me you're feeling down, and to be honest I've noticed too."

Kankuro shrugged.

"So, I thought perhaps you are in need of a break," Gaara stated.

Kankuro still stared unfazed.

Gaara continued, "go home and pack for Kohana."


	12. Chapter 12

Kankuro saw the familiar chunnin standing in front of him and was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. He hated Kiba for making him feel this way but at the same time… he loved him? He loved him! It all made sense.

It hit Kankuro hard and fast. His heart rate sped and a grin spread across his face, "Kiba…"

What he was going to say no longer mattered. His heart went from golden to broken in two. A woman walked up to Kiba and placed an arm around him before moving in to bring their lips together.

Kankuro could only watch as the kiss was returned casually and then was broken when Kiba looked back up at Kankuro the woman still keeping close to Kiba. "Kankuro, this is Mai, she's my…-hey where are you going?"

Kankuro looked over his shoulder and grunted, "away."

He had wasted three days going to Kohana and three more days waiting for Kiba to return form a mission for this? To have his heart torn out? This was some vacation.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

Kankuro laid in the small bed feeling as though he was on the verge of tears but fought relentlessly until there was a knock on the door.

He answered it and almost slammed it again before a hand stretched out to stop it. "Kankuro, I need to talk to you," Kiba pleaded.

Kankuro sighed but didn't move for him to go into the room, "fine." He leaned against the door frame crossing his arms and waiting.

"I'm sorry," Kiba breathed out quickly. "Mai's… my wife."

"Thanks for sharing," Kankuro moved to slam the door but was stopped again.

"No," he sighed, "it was an arranged marriage. I had no say in the matter. Kankuro I…- I want you. I love you."

"Go home, Kiba," Kankuro responded bitterly.

"No," Kiba retorted. "I don't want her. Please say it, say you love me too."

"Go home, Kiba," Kankuro said again.

"We can run away, Kankuro, I don't have to go back," Kiba pleaded.

"Then what?" Kankuro snapped. "We become missing nin, get chased because we have secrets about our villages, get ourselves killed by bounty hunters? Is that what you want, Kiba?"

"No…" Kiba's voice was shaky and desperate, he too was fighting tears.

"Then go home," Kankuro stated.

"I don't want to," he answered brokenly.

Kankuro seized his shoulders, "Kiba, go have a life, go have a family… and I'll stay away."

Kiba gripped his wrists, "I don't want you to!" He finally let out a sob and tears fell stingingly.

Kankuro pulled him into a hug and placed his chin on Kiba's head, "I know…" He held him tighter. "I know…"

Kiba buried his face into Kankuro's chest.

"But come on, Kiba, this isn't going to work…" Kankuro spoke softly.

Kiba's hands held tight to the fabric of Kankuro's shirt.

"You should go home," he sighed pushing Kiba away.

All Kiba could do was back up but his weak voice still protested, "I don't want to."

"You'll be a good father, Kiba," Kankuro stated, his own voice hoarse from battle. "Go make little Inuzukas."

Kiba shook his head.

And Kankuro did the only thing he could. His eyes clenched in pain as he reached for the door handle and shut it quickly.

He pressed his forehead against the cold white-washed door and listened to Kiba throw himself against it on the other side in pure desperation. He heard the quite sobs and pleas for Kankuro to open the door again. Kankuro turned with his back against the only thing separating them before sliding down to the floor. His knees came up to his chest as his head tilted back. Ragged breaths signified his loss as tears fell.

They couldn't be together. They could never be together. Their hearts would never recover.

~Fin

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**Final Author Notes: it's been a blast, I don't plan on a sequel, I liked the ending, some of the chapters were short, this ends on the number **_**13**_**, and reviews are wonderful! **


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